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Direct and displaced aggression after exclusion: role of gender differences
Joanna Rajchert1, Karolina Konopka1, Hubert Oręziak1
1The Maria Grzegorzewska University.
The Journal of Social Psychology
|March 2, 2022
Summary
Exclusion influences aggression differently based on gender and type of exclusion. Men show more direct aggression after ostracism, while women display more displaced aggression. Rejection leads to generalized aggression in both genders.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Exclusion can trigger aggressive behavior towards both the source of exclusion and uninvolved individuals.
- Gender differences in aggression are noted, with men potentially favoring direct aggression and women favoring displaced aggression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how ostracism and rejection influence aggressive behavior.
- To examine gender-specific responses to exclusion, considering the target of aggression (excluder vs. bystander).
Main Methods:
- Four studies were conducted with varying sample sizes (N=88 to 133).
- Participants experienced either ostracism (Studies 1-2) or rejection (Studies 3-4).
- Aggressive responses towards the excluder or a bystander were subsequently measured.
Main Results:
- Gender differences in aggression emerged specifically after ostracism.
- Men exhibited more retaliatory aggression, while women displayed more displaced aggression following ostracism.
- Rejection led to generalized aggressive behavior in both men and women, targeting both excluders and bystanders.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the gender differences hypothesis in aggression, but only under conditions of ostracism.
- Rejection appears to elicit a more uniform aggressive response across genders.
- Results are interpreted through the lens of Sexual Selection Theory.
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